Chicken fajitas: Tasty and easy to make recipe

Las fajitas de pollo son un clásico de la cocina mexicana que ha triunfado en todo el mundo gracias a su versatilidad, sabor y rapidez de preparación. Con ingredientes fáciles de encontrar y un marinado muy sencillo, la receta de las fajitas de pollo está al alcance de todos y permite crear un plato lleno de color, aroma y frescura. Por si fuera poco, ¡son un plato camaleónico! Se pueden personalizar con toppings, al gusto del comensal, y son perfectas para todo tipo de ocasiones, desde una cena rápida entre semana hasta una reunión con amigos o una celebración familiar.

En cuanto a su historia, se cree que fueron los vaqueros de origen mexicano que vivían en Texas (Estados Unidos) los que las inventaron. Como parte de su salario, estos trabajadores recibían piezas menos valoradas de res (concretamente, la arrachera) y, para aprovechar esta carne, en general más dura, comenzaron a cortarla en finas tiras y a adobarla para darle más sabor. Lo que empezó como un recurso ingenioso, hoy es un manjar que ha sabido reinventarse sin perder su esencia, ¡vamos a descubrir por qué!
 

Ingredients for preparing chicken fajitas

Before you get started, let’s go over what you will need. The ingredients for chicken fajitas can be found in any supermarket, and the key lies in combining them well, keeping everything balanced and ensuring that spicy flavour – lightly spiced and with a hint of citrus. To prepare the chicken fajitas you will need the following ingredients:

• 500 g chicken breast
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of sweet or spicy paprika
• 1 tablespoon of powdered cumin
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 lime
• 8 wheat tortillas

How to make chicken fajitas – step by step

Now that you have all the ingredients in place, it’s time for the best part: the cooking! If you want to enjoy your fajitas right now and you’re wondering how to make them easily and without fuss, here are the steps you need to follow. Let’s get started! 

1. Cut and marinade the chicken. To do this, first clean the meat and cut it into strips. Then, mix it with the oil, spices, salt and a bit of lime and let it rest for around 30 minutes to enhance its flavour. 
2. Prepare the vegetables. Wash and cut the peppers and the onion. Make sure to cut everything into strips, not just because it’s traditional but because, this way, they maintain a crunchy texture that adds contrast. It also allows the vegetables to fit better into the flour tortilla that you will use to wrap all the ingredients.  
3. Brown the chicken. In a very hot pan, cook the chicken strips until they are golden on the outside and juicy on the inside.  
4. Sauté the vegetables. Add the onions and peppers to the same hot pan and cook until they are tender but still have a crunch. 
5. Adjust the spices and add a few extra drops of lime. 
6. Now for the best part: assembling the fajitas. To do this, slightly warm the tortillas and fill them with the chicken and vegetables, after which each person can customise their fajita with guacamole, cheese or salsa. 
    

What can you serve with chicken fajitas?

Chicken fajitas are super versatile and go well with a wide variety of side dishes that will elevate and complete the whole dining experience. If you want to find out about what to serve with chicken fajitas, here are some final suggestions: you can pair them with guacamole, pico de gallo salsa, sour cream, natural yogurt, or grated cheese; with a lettuce and sweetcorn salad, Mexican-style rice, with beans or spiced oven-roasted potato wedges, or with something a bit more adventurous, such as jalapenos or crunchy nachos. Yum!